1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally pertains to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a vehicle seat assembly. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, the present invention relates to a rear seat assembly for a motor vehicle including a portion longitudinally translatable under a source of power.
2. Discussion
Within a motor vehicle including multiple rows of seats, it is often desirable to transport people or cargo in various configurations. In particular, small children and infants are often transported in a center, rear seat position, because the center, rear seat position is frequently recommended based on safety considerations. In general, to accommodate different configurations for transporting people or cargo, vehicle seats are often translatable in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle. Middle and rear rows of seats, however, typically do not provide for the translation of the center seat portion independent of adjacent seats. In order to address situations where this is desirable, various designs have been proposed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,529 discloses a center console, rather than a seat, that is adapted to store various items and is translatable between the center position of the rear row of seats and the center position of the front row of seats. The center console disclosed, however, is not adapted to retain a child or a child seat, and fully translates into the front portion of the vehicle, which is more dangerous for children because of airbags and other safety considerations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,084 discloses a center seat that is fore-aft slidable between the front row and a rear row of seats. The center seat is adapted to transport a person and includes a console box adapted to retain beverages or other items. The center seat disclosed, however, fully translates into the more dangerous front row of the vehicle, which does not comport with safety considerations for children.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,589 discloses a vehicle having three rows of seats, and a center seat slidably mounted on a rail extending between the center portion of the middle and rear row of seats. The center seat is adapted to provide a variety of seat arrangements by translating into the middle or rear row of seats. The center seat, however, does not translate forward of the middle row of seats to provide occupants in the front row improved access to a child or items retained in the center seat.
Location of a small child or infant in a standard center seat position, or one that does not translate forward of the middle or rear row of seats, renders access to the child by adults in a front row seat difficult if not impossible. Access is further complicated where the small child or infant is being transported in a rearwardly facing child seat. In order to generally improve access by those in the front row seat of a vehicle and to provide variable seat arrangements within a vehicle, various seat structures and designs have been developed.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a rear seat assembly for a motor vehicle including a portion translatable under a source of power in a fore direction and an aft direction.
In one form, the present invention provides a motor vehicle including a passenger compartment having a floor. The motor vehicle has a front row of seats and a rear row of seats. The front row of seats is disposed in a forward portion of the passenger compartment and is interconnected to the floor. The rear row of seats is disposed in a rear portion of the passenger compartment, behind the front row of seats, and is interconnected to the floor. The rear row of seats includes a seat assembly having at least a portion linearly translatable in a fore direction and an aft direction under a source of power. In an alternative aspect of the invention, the portion translatable includes an integrated child safety seat. A switch assembly is located in the forward portion of the passenger compartment for selectively controlling linear translation of the portion of the seat assembly in the fore and aft directions.
In another form, the present invention provides a motor vehicle seat assembly kit. The kit includes a seat assembly having at least a portion linearly translatable in a fore direction and an aft direction under a source of power. A switch assembly is adapted to be located in the forward portion of the passenger compartment for selectively controlling linear translation of the portion of the seat assembly in the fore and aft directions.
In yet another form, the present invention provides a motor vehicle seat having a selectively translatable child safety seat attached thereto. The child safety seat includes a seat portion linearly translatable in a fore direction and an aft direction under a source of power. A switch assembly is also located in the forward portion of the passenger compartment for selectively controlling linear translation of the seat portion of the child safety seat in the fore and aft directions.
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from a reading of the subsequent description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.